Prime pasta at Osteria Tarantino

 18 July 2025  

 

OSTERIA TARANTINO

125A Waterkant Street, De Waterkant, Cape Town 

 

Who here remembers Alibi, the Italian place du jour in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s? That’s where I ate gnocchi with basil pesto for the first time, where I had my 30^th birthday dinner with three friends and where I entertained various hot dates.  The good old days.

 

It turns out that Alibi used to be in a space next door to Osteria Tarantino.  Back then the ‘hood was basically down at heel backstreets (it felt ever so slightly daring to eat  at Alibi) and today it’s a poster child for gentrification.

 

Osteria Tarantino has been going for 10 years and there’s been no passing of a torch but it’s carrying on a splendid tradition of the ultimate comfort food that is proper Italian nosh.  

 

The venue is a small, intimate and cosy trattoria  with about ten tables and menus on blackboards against the walls, and a “Chef’s table” specials menu just below the service counter. The cheerful host is more than delighted to explain it all to you as well.

 

We met two friends there (they’re longtime fans of Osteria) and when Von-Mari and I alighted from our Uber and recognised the neighbourhood, albeit in finery I hadn’t seen at my last visit,  the portents were very promising indeed.

 

My expectations weren’t dashed to smithereens.

 

The two women shared a couple of bottles of wine they’d brought, and their men drank beer purchased from the hostelry.

 

The four of us shared arancini

and Tuscan cigars (Parma ham stracciatella and rocket)

starters, as each plate contains four pieces.  

 

The arancini in a garlicy sauce had the bold flavours and the ham had the subtle, incandescent flavours. Both dishes were scrumptious and we all secretly wished we ordered a plate of each for ourselves.

 

My main course was meatballs in a tomato sauce,

Von-Mari chose the saltimbocca (R300)

and our friends had the 4Ps (pappardelle pasta, porcini mushrooms, parmigiano and pancetta) (R180); one was the straightforward Bianco version and the other was the Bianco, with a touch of tomato as special request.

 

The meatballs with tagliatelle was probably the best, tastiest and warm fuzzy feeling inducing pasta dish I’ve had in a restaurant and specifically the best meatball and pasta dish ever, with perfectly cooked meatballs that didn’t fall apart but also weren’t dense and chewy and with a tomato sauce that was ragu like in texture, as if the meatballs were served in a Bolognese sauce that had been reducing for a few days. 

 

Von-Mari adored her saltimbocca; perfectly cooked, succulent veal. A substantial portion, worth every penny.

 

Our friends, who know the 4Ps well, enjoyed their meals though it seemed that the creaminess of the Bianco was perhaps a tad much.

 

Tiramisu is usually my default choice of Italian dessert but  when I saw cassata (R80)

on the menu, I had a moment. I  hadn’t had cassata in ages and it’s an indulgent dulce I love. Once quite fashionable, it’s become extinct on local menus. This cassata was perfect; creamy, not too sweet, with a smattering of candied fruit contributing flavour and textural contrast. Perfecto.

 

The other desserts were two affogati (?) (R80 each) and one serving of chocolate salami (R80),

which did indeed have a striking resemblance to the cured meat product and were delicious, dry, chocolatey and with no characteristic salami taste or flavour.

 

Our share of the bill came to R1345,00 inclusive of tip and corkage.

 

The company was good and jolly, the atmosphere was warm and cozy on a cold night but the true USP of Osteria Tarantino is the superb food. I’d be tempted to eat my way through the menu and at my next visit I’ll order the gnocchi. That first gnocchi dish at Alibi was a lightbulb moment for me, a guy used to mediocre spaghetti Bolognese and overcooked macaroni and cheese, and if the meatball dish is an augur, the gnocchi here should be sublime.  

 

<insert the well-known quote from The Terminator here>